Career and Education Opportunities for Academic Directors in Fort Collins, Colorado

Academic director career and educational opportunities abound in Fort Collins, Colorado. About 1,680 people are currently employed as academic directors in Colorado. By 2016, this is expected to grow by 28% to about 2,150 people employed. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for academic directors are expected to grow by about 2.3%. In general, academic directors plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, and junior and community colleges.

Academic directors earn about $38 per hour or $79,670 per year on average in Colorado and about $38 hourly or $80,670 yearly on average nationally. Compared with people working in the overall category of Education and Training, people working as academic directors in Colorado earn more. They earn more than people working in the overall category of Education and Training nationally. Academic directors work in a variety of jobs, including: humanities department chair, recruitment director, and department chair.

The Fort Collins area is home to eleven schools of higher education, including two within twenty-five miles of Fort Collins where you can get a degree as an academic director. Given that the most common education level for academic directors is a Master's degree, it will take about six years to learn to be an academic director if you already have a high school diploma, or just 2 years starting with a Bachelor's degree.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Academic Director

Academic Director video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, academic directors plan, direct, or coordinate research, instructional, student administration and services, and other educational activities at postsecondary institutions, including universities, and junior and community colleges.

Academic directors participate in faculty and college committee efforts. They also represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes. Finally, academic directors recruit and terminate departmental personnel.

Every day, academic directors are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they write clearly and communicate well.

It is important for academic directors to formulate and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports. They are often called upon to establish operational policies and procedures and make any needed modifications, on the basis of analysis of operations and other research data. They also furnish assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs and scheduling events. They are sometimes expected to talk with other academic staff to explain and formulate admission requirements and course credit policies. Somewhat less frequently, academic directors are also expected to formulate and promote sporting events and social and recreational activities.

Academic directors sometimes are asked to inspect registration statistics, and confer with faculty officials to evolve registration policies. They also have to be able to decide on course schedules, and direct teaching assignments and room assignments to insure optimum use of buildings and equipment and direct efforts of administrative departments such as admissions and career services. And finally, they sometimes have to negotiate with foundation and industry representatives on issues such as securing loans and determining construction costs and materials.

Like many other jobs, academic directors must have exceptional integrity and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Fort Collins include:

Advertising Manager. Plan and direct advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, or give-aways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.

Chief Executive Officer. Determine and formulate policies and provide the overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within the guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Academic Director Training

Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO

Colorado State University, 102 Administration Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0100. Colorado State University is a large university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 27,796 students and an admission rate of 86%. Colorado State University has 2 areas of study related to Academic Director. They are:

Educational Administration and Supervision, Other Specialties, master's degree and doctor's degree which graduated 107 and thirty-six students respectively in 2008.

University of Northern Colorado - Greeley, CO

University of Northern Colorado, Carter Hall - Rm 4000, Greeley, CO 80639. University of Northern Colorado is a large university located in Greeley, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 11,925 students and an admission rate of 92%. University of Northern Colorado has 2 areas of study related to Academic Director. They are:

Educational Leadership and Administration, master's degree, post-master's certificate, and doctor's degree which graduated twenty-four, four, and four students respectively in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence:
The Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence is a professional who leads and champions process-improvement initiatives everywhere from small businesses to multinational corporations that can have regional or global focus in a variety of service and industrial settings.

Program Management Professional:
Project Management Institute's newest credential is specifically developed to acknowledge the qualifications of the professional who leads the coordinated management of multiple projects and ensures the ultimate success of a program.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins, Colorado photo by Citycommunications

Fort Collins is located in Larimer County, Colorado. It has a population of over 136,509, which has grown by 15.0% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Fort Collins, 91, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Fort Collins are valued at $216,000 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, two hundred sixty-seven new homes were built in Fort Collins, down from four hundred eight the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Fort Collins are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is educational services, construction, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average travel time to work is about 19 minutes. More than 48.4% of Fort Collins residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 18.4%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Fort Collins is 6.3%, which is less than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Fort Collins residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.3%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Assemblies of God and the LDS (Mormon) Church.